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Smiles To You

Smiles To You

The Client:

Founded by registered dental hygienist Kathie Reynolds, Smiles to You (STY) fills a dental care gap for elderly patients who are homebound or in assisted living facilities. The service visits medical day care facilities, health clinics and assisted living facilities to provide dental care and educate health care providers, potential patients and their families on dental health.

The Challenge:

Reynolds was working full-time and raising four children while planning her startup. The legal issues involved in getting a license to run a “mobile” dental facility—a first in Virginia—were daunting, and with no prior entrepreneurial experience, Reynolds initially felt the project was overwhelming. “I got consumed with the [startup] process and had a problem finding balance,” she explains.

The Solution:

SCORE mentors Barbara Drohan-Ballard, Sal Sotis, and Al Cioppa helped Reynolds develop a strategic plan and focus on her short-term goals so she wouldn’t get overwhelmed. “SCORE kept the project in perspective while encouraging planning and completion,” says Reynolds. “They still keep me on track, and stop me from filling my plate up to the point where it’s exhausting.”

Reynolds works as a dental hygienist with her mobile team, but uses assistants to help her and the dentists, reducing her workload. With Drohan-Ballard’s encouragement, she now stops working at 5 p.m. most days. “I became a mother and a wife again,” she says happily.

The Results:

Launched in May 2013, STY had nearly $100,000 in revenues last year and is already on track to double that in 2014. While still wearing the hats of an administrator, marketing director, contract negotiator and dental hygienist at STY, Reynolds can now make her own schedule thanks to four part-time employees.

Ultimately, Reynolds hopes to franchise STY; if so, she will work with a SCORE mentor specializing in franchising. “SCORE is a free resource and they’re such a diverse group,” she says. “It’s nice to know there’s someone who can help you work through any problems. Every company could benefit from these wonderful mentors.”

Mass Mutual is not associated with, and does not endorse, the business featured.​

Founded in 1851, MassMutual is a leading mutual life insurance company that is run for the benefit of its members and participating policyholders. MassMutual provides products to help meet the financial needs of clients, such as life insurance, disability income insurance, long term care insurance, retirement/401(k) plan services, and annuities.